In memory of Peps

On October 29 2006 Pepita, one of Mail online's most popular and prolific message board hosts, sadly passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

To everyone who knew her – from first time posters who Peps warmly welcomed to the community, to old hands who have been part of the community for years – Peps was someone who always raised a smile.

She was an amusing, vivacious, caring, charming lady, someone whose sense of humour and kind nature was infectious, and a host who always ensured that the Mail online boards – or Femail – were a lovely place to be.

There are so many fond memories of Peps that it would be impossible to publish them all, and we urge you to read and then contribute to the tribute thread on the message boards.

However, these are some of the favourites, starting off with Peps’ biography written by her husband John.

"I found Pep, under the alias of Jeanne, or perhaps she found me, in Geneva in nineteen fifty something, where she was having a whale of a time with parties and ski-ing weekends.

"She also managed to be a secretary to a leading light in the World Council of Churches. I learned she was born in Las Palmas of a Scottish father and German mother but was educated at a Convent near Liverpool in England.

"I managed to persuade her somehow to join me in Nigeria where I was working and we were married there.

"She was very interested in the local wildlife and joined heartily in the activities of the local expatriate club.

"We returned to England for a year or so before heading off to Sierra Leone for more work for me in a mining organisation and a vocation for Jeanne as secretary to the Port Manager.

"At the end of that stint we had another spell in England where our daughter Shelagh was born, subsequently returning to Sierra Leone where Jeanne was secretary to the Manager of British United Airways, there.

"Our next move was to Australia where I worked for a mining organisation and Jeanne was an unlikely lady of leisure looking after Shelagh and watching kangaroos.

"The move after that was to Malawi where our son Simon was born and Jeanne worked for a solicitor before we went to Spain for an early retirement but this proved rather unfulfilling.

"I took up some consultancy work in Jordan and Jeanne returned to secretarial work for the Overseas Development Organisation.

"We then returned to Spain for some years and Jeanne became involved with the local English School also we acquired two Chihuahuas named Pedro and Pepita, the latter being a totally adorable and loving character.

"We started spending some time in England where Shelagh and Simon had to go to University, Jeanne became computer orientated and picked up the Daily Mail website, immediately taking the name Pepita from the lovely little dog.

"She was overjoyed at becoming a Host for Femail and enjoyed her ultimate career more I think than anything else in her latter life."

Pederito, aka John

"My fondest memory of Peps was her laugh! We would sit on the phone for hours at a time giggling like a pair of schoolgirls.

"I'll never forget the first time she heard me say the word "Clappydoo" - the word, combined with my accent, sent her into a paroxysm of laughter. She laughed so long and so hard that I became seriously worried for her health!

"I will always treasure the memories of Peps last visit to see me-we both knew this would be the last time we ever met and it was truly a bittersweet occasion.

"We sat holding hands, chatting and laughing. We told each other what we felt for each other and had a huge hug-it's a day I will always remember.

"Pep was a lovely person, sweet, funny, brave and inspirational. She was my friend, motherfigure and that special person you meet once in a lifetime, my soulmate."

"The invitation to 'dive in and post' to all us nervous newbies was too hard to resist. Her genuine, kind personality shone through with every post she made.

"The running jokes about rabbits, aubergines and pole dancing are legendary. Quiz days were hilarious, typos from the less 'fleet of finger', the wild guesses, the not so wild- but mildly rude answers to the most innocent questions made being late back to work worthwhile.

"Peps represented the very heart of what these boards are, Friendship - A listening ear - Laughter and Comfort in times of trouble."

Secretivetwinkletoes

"Pep... a truly wonderful selfless lady. I miss her so much."

Alialiooo_host

"Peps helped me such a lot when my son was going to Kent for an interview, she offered her telephone number in case he had any difficulties if he decided to take the place offered."

Saffron03

To read more tributes to Peps please do read the tribute thread and feel free to add your own there, or on the reader comments below.

Rest in peace, Peps. You are missed by us all – from everyone at Mail online especially Dave, Ilana, Alastair and the rest of the team.